Majority of billing is for "WAF" even though I have never used it

Question

I was recently creating a very small serverless project in AWS and set a budget of $5. I recently got notified that I was getting close to the budget. When I checked the billing, I saw that the majority of the cost ($3.90 out of $3.93) was due to "WAF" even though I've never used that service. I went to the WAF "Web ACLs" and "Rule groups" and didn't see anything in any region.
![Billing](/media/postImages/original/IMPM0IXnWPSZCHoznIE50w1w)

re:Post Agent · Accepted Answer

You're experiencing a common issue where AWS WAF charges appear even when you don't think you're using the service. This typically happens for a few reasons:

1. Web ACLs might exist in a region you haven't checked. Make sure to check the "Global" region specifically, as WAF resources associated with CloudFront are created there.

2. WAF Web ACLs can be created as part of other services without being immediately obvious. For example, if you set up CloudFront at any point, there might have been an option to create a WAF that was enabled.

3. You pay for AWS WAF Web ACLs even if no resources are associated with them. There's a monthly fee for each web ACL regardless of whether they're actively protecting resources.

To resolve this issue:

1. Check the WAF console specifically in the "Global" region, as this is where CloudFront-associated WAF resources appear.

2. If you find any Web ACLs, delete them following AWS documentation for deleting Web ACLs.

3. Review if you've set up CloudFront in the past, as WAF might have been enabled during that setup.

4. If you still can't locate the source of the charges, consider contacting AWS Support as they have tools to investigate account-specific billing information.

Remember that even after deleting resources, there might be a short delay before charges stop appearing in your billing.  
**Sources**  
[Being Charged for AWS WAF even though not using this | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QU-sgG4YC-Q-m1trhoCN6J4w/being-charged-for-aws-waf-even-though-not-using-this)  
[How to stop WAF cost bills | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QUuanXtpRnTAGYGZXx6_1JEw/how-to-stop-waf-cost-bills)  
[Unexpected WAF Charges Inquiry | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QUEaY9YEDqTSe3zeoV49MGOA/unexpected-waf-charges-inquiry)  
[Do you pay for WAF Web ACL, even if no resource associated? | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QUm27ARsrjSkq9eEnN4mX0NQ/do-you-pay-for-waf-web-acl-even-if-no-resource-associated)

Majority of billing is for "WAF" even though I have never used it

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